The Best Benchtop Drum Sanders for Woodworking

WWPN Staff
Guide

There is a lot of confusion around what exactly a drum sander is. Yes, they are huge. Yes, they move on a belt. But what is it that they do?

Simply put, a drum sander is a stationary machine that aids in creating an incredibly smooth finish on all sorts of wood. The drum in itself is a large piece of equipment or instrument that goes on top of a moving belt. One can purchase it with either a single or a dual drum feature.

Most woodworkers and carpenters will be highly familiar with what exactly sanding is. The process entails polishing or smoothening an existing piece of wood. It does not involve cutting or chopping of any sort.

A drum sander can do this because it contains loops and loops of sandpaper that are put to use as soon as the machine starts. These move horizontally and can polish a piece of wood as much as you want.

Recommended Best Drum Sanders


Title	JET JWDS-1020 Benchtop Drum Sander (723510)	Powermatic PM2244 Drum Sander (1792244)	SUPERMAX TOOLS Drum Sander Model 19-38 (SUPMX-71938-D)	JET JWDS-1632 Drum Sander with Stand (723520K)	JET JWDS-2244 Drum Sander With Stand (723540OSK)
Weight	73 lbs	328 lbs	245 lbs	156 lbs	177 lbs
Client Rating	3.5/5	3.7/5	4/5	4.4/5	4/5
Value for Money	4/5	4/5	4/5	5/5	5/5
Accuracy	4/5	4/5	5/5	5/5	5/5
Grit Type	Medium	Medium	Coarse	Coarse	Medium
Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

Top Drum Sanders In The Market

Buying a good drum sander is a tough decision simply because there are so many of them available in the market today. All of them come with a range of different pros and cons. Thus, it becomes even more important to recognize which ones are the best.

Here are our picks for the best drum sander review:

JET JWDS-1020 Benchtop Drum Sander (723510)

One look at this drum sander, and you will know why it is so good at what it does.

When it comes to a great drum sander, the first thing to look for is consistency. A lot of drum sanders promise several different things but fail to deliver them. Sometimes, the drum sander might work well in the beginning but break down after a few attempts.

The fact that this drum sander provides impressive results every time also means it comes with a good warranty period. Furthermore, it consists of a heavy-duty die-cast steel and aluminum body.

Once you know that your sander is made with these two materials, you will never have to worry about its strength and rigidity again.

Not only that, but the sander has an extremely optimal feed rate too. In case you do not know what this means, you can use this feature to control your speed.

A lot of drum sanders come with an extremely restrictive feature in terms of changing speed. Due to this, you ultimately have to work at the available speed. This can sometimes give extremely negative results. With this drum sander machine, you can choose to work at the rate you deem fit.

The added advantage is that it not only works well but also looks great in terms of value for money. It is an excellent benchtop drum sander and considered the best drum sander for a small shop. Go ahead and check it

Pros

Seamless Abrasive Changes
Great in terms of protection from heat
Aluminum design dissipates heat
Steel conveyor bed
Extremely high precision

Cons

Motor fan sometimes rubs on the shroud
Sanding drum tends to shut off mid-work

Price

JET JWDS-1020 Benchtop Drum Sander (723510): $1,239.99

Buy on Amazon

Powermatic PM2244 Drum Sander (1792244)

This one, too, is a complete knock-off. The Powermatic Drum Sander is one of the best in the market when it comes to accuracy. With this, you need not worry about your finishing and precision at all. It will make sure to get your work done just the way you like it.

Another advantage of this drum sander is how much capacity it can entail. This comes with inclusive infeed and outfeed tables and has a magnificent capacity in terms of how much support it can provide. The capacity can sometimes go as high as 37-1/2 inches.

Once you use this, you will also learn to recommend the auto-adjustment feature of the same.

Powermatic is a company specializing in all sorts of sanders, and this one will not let you down as well.

Most sanders come with features and controls that need adjustment manually. For people that are not comfortable with the same, this can be quite a task.

The automated feed logic system monitors ensure the drum is regulated at all times. What’s more is that they also keep the speed of the conveyor motor in check for you. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

This one is one of the best drum sanders for good working that will not let you down in the longer run.

Pros

Comes with a closed stand for storage
Good organizational features
Integrated Casters for maximum mobility around the workplace
Emergency quick shutoff feature to prevent accidents and damage

Cons

Roller feeds screws do not help with tightening
Needs a steady pressure on the back
Customer service can take a long time to respond

Price

Powermatic PM2244 Drum Sander (1792244): $2899.99

Buy on Amazon

SUPERMAX TOOLS Drum Sander Model 19-38 (SUPMX-71938-D)

If you have used Supermax tools and equipment before, then you know how wonderful they are in terms of style and features. This one is definitely above them all. Safe to say, Supermax outdid themselves with this open-end drum sander.

One thing that sets this drum sander apart from quite a lot of other open-end drum sanders in the market is the intellisand technology that it comes with. If this word sounds extremely unfamiliar, we have got you covered.

An intellisand product means that it realizes and identifies your needs and priorities and delivers the best results in terms of the same.

For example, this drum sander automatically adjusts the conveyor speed based on the load. Sometimes, if you are going too fast, then you might ruin the polish.

This smart feature in the Supermax sander allows it to optimize the speed and do it quite efficiently too.

Another great feature that this sander has is that it prevents all sorts of gouging, damaging, or burning of stock. Therefore, you need not worry about this being a problem.

This is one of the best sanders for cabinets and the best table sander. Experts also suggest that it is excellent in terms of accuracy, as well as affordable when it comes to the brand and quality

Pros

Good with providing consistency in finishing
Works well with all sorts of grain patterns as well as density
Greatly increases dimensional speed
Provides the most abrasive planing

Cons

Warranty not up to the mark
People have struggled with customer service in the past

Price

SUPERMAX TOOLS Drum Sander Model 19-38 (SUPMX-71938-D): Currently Unavailable

JET JWDS-1632 Drum Sander with Stand (723520K)

When it comes to the best sander for woodworking, this one hands-down wins all awards. This JET Drum Sander has outdone itself with the range of features and optimal design that it comes with.

What sets apart this sander from a lot of others is that it comes with absolutely brilliant tech support.

In today’s time, technology is a boon, and this sander takes full advantage of the same. It comes with a smart monitor that constantly controls the load and thus regulates the speed.

This entire process is done automatically according to what is needed. Furthermore, it is also optimized to its maximum efficiency to ensure there is a separate feed and drum motor. There are very few drum sanders that do this. However, it is a great feature to have.

By separating these two aspects, you make your drum sander run independently and to its fullest capacity. It also comes in a great mixture of jet black and smooth grey colors, making it look wonderful in almost any office setting.

It has also been noticed that it is rather simple and easy to assemble, unlike a lot of other huge drum sanders. This means that you do not have to worry about which screw goes where!

Pros

Best in terms of efficiency
Channel that reflects the shape of the drum
Debris direction system
Storage shelf and stand
Maximum stability

Cons

Experiences of a faulty motherboard
Sandpaper is extremely difficult to keep in place for long
Bogs down even with minimal sanding

Price

JET JWDS-1632 Drum Sander with Stand (723520K): $1599.99

Buy on Amazon

JET JWDS-2244 Drum Sander With Stand (723540OSK)

This one, too, is a product by JET and is essentially great at what it sets out to do. While this sander is slightly on the expensive side when compared to the others, it more than makes up for it with the features that it comes with.

The sander comes with a great speed regulation feature which is characteristic of almost all JET sanders. This makes sure that you do not need to worry about the load and motor at any point in time. Otherwise, constantly checking for the same can be a huge task to overcome.

Not only that, but the sander also provides maximum protection from heat. This is due to the fact that the aluminum drum is dynamically designed to let out any heat that it catches. Thus, your drum and machine will never get too hot.

The best feature is the fact that there are no tools needed to adjust any of the features. You can simply turn the dial towards the outer side to ensure the conveyor bed is parallel. Here is a quick look at its pros and cons before moving on

Pros

Integrated Dust Collection
Good with stabilization
Pre-drilled holes for castor
Value for money

Cons

Paint tends to bubble sometimes
Layers of rust form quickly

Price

JET JWDS-2244 Drum Sander With Stand (723540OSK): $3419.98

Buy on Amazon

The Best Of Tips And ‘How To?’ To Make Your Process Smoother

You can build a DIY sander at home with the help of thickness sander plans. If you are struggling with fixing or managing a part within the drum sander, go ahead and find your answers below.

How to get the paper to lay flat on the sander?

This is something that a lot of people struggle with. The ends of the rolls have a paper cut, which is of the perfect size and alignment to make sure the paper fits. Placing the paper at the correct angle could help too.

How to clean the sanding belts?

This one is a no-brainer. The easiest thing you can do here is making use of an abrasive cleaning stick that will clean the belt in no time. Another thing you could do is soak up the entire thing in a cleaning solution. These should definitely help.

How to differentiate between open-end and close-end sanders?

Open-end sanders are a lot more holistic and versatile and also provide a greater area for you to move your equipment around. Furthermore, they leave a lesser footprint. Close-end sanders, on the other hand, are a lot wider and are specially used for faster work.

Frequently Asked Questions About The Drum Sander

Here are a few questions that you might have in mind regarding the usage and maintenance of a drum sander. Read along to find out what are the essential things you need to know and how you can optimize your work with a drum sander.

Why Can’t I Settle For A Cheap Drum Sander?

This is probably a little hard to digest, but the bottom line is that the more you spend on your drum sander, the better it will turn out to be. This is because paying to buy the drum sander from a better brand means that it is of better quality.

A lot of companies try to charge a lower price but then provide you a product that does not work as well. Therefore, choosing the best drum sander after reading our product reviews will ensure that you get a robust machine with extra versatility.

Why Does My Sandpaper Keep Unlocking From The Drum Kit?

If you are facing this issue, know that you are not the only one. There are tons of people around the world using different drum sanders but facing the same problem. However, this does not mean that there is something wrong with your machine.

Chances are that you are using a sander for the first time. Therefore, all you need to do is tighten the nut which you see near the drum. By tightening the nut, you are essentially pressing down on the rubber. Due to this, your sandpaper fits in more easily.

Do this, and all of the problems regarding the unlocking should disappear in an instance.

How Is The Drum Sander And The Belt Sander Different?

There are a lot of people that confuse the drum sander with the belt sander. This is most likely to happen due to the fact that they look a little alike. However, both of these machines are quite different when it comes to their features and functioning.

The drum sander is best when it comes to tasks requiring a large board sanding. When it comes to the belt sander, though, you cannot trust it to do a good job at this. Furthermore, both of these sanders also use dissimilar sanding sheets.

These differences will help you recognize which one is which. Hopefully, it will also give you more clarity regarding buying the perfect drum sander.

Final Verdict

Having read the open-end drum sander reviews, you might know that there are drum sanders that are best for all different sorts of things. You could use them for woodworking, small shops, benchtops, cabinets, etc.

All of them come with their own range of features to do the job well.

These are some of the best drum sanders that exist in the market today. However, ensure you are firm on your decision about buying one and can handle it easily before going ahead with the same. Go ahead and get yours home today!